More riders rolling in and the official decision!

Justinas Leveika is Closing in on the Finish - First to Finish... 

Day 3 and Night 2

Day 2 and First Night

5 Hours In! Off We Go!

The Year of the Triple Crown

Colorado Trail Race 2024 Route

As shown by Peta McSharry, the Bikepacking Coach, here, it is against the rules to get into a vehicle on the CTR whatever happens. Justinas hitchiked upon his wheel snapping and then returned to the exact same spot. In many races, this is an acceptable form of self-supported problem solving. However, as with other races, they have their own quirks and Justinas is now not the winner, but first finisher with Xavier being the overall winner.

## Xavier wins the CTR24

Congrats to Xavier for a solid race, can't wait to see what else this speedy rider is up to. You may notice that he seems to have finished later down the rankings, however, his tracker stopped working and there were people present to verify his finish! An epic ride and well done for chasing Justinas for so long.

![Screenshot 2024-08-16 at 21.38.25](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4dYcyF93ZDB0EHl3ErYXAG/894f3c92103e1e2a5906aef890f0ab43/Screenshot_2024-08-16_at_21.38.25.png)

## Emma Bateup Refuels and Nicolette Closes in in First Place Woman

Emma Bateup, a NZ native and Tour Te Waipounamu winner, sat down and refueld for the first time at an Ultra! Showing just how hard the CTR can be, she's been riding well and is currently at mile 415. Nicolette is closing in on the finish, looking to arrive any minute now as the first woman putting a lot of time between her and Karin Pocock who is looking to pull in in third.

![Screenshot 2024-08-16 at 21.38.06](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7gOa5TEw67J7jJpaSfTbGq/eb523e66ef8bc66fa9480d81567c6a12/Screenshot_2024-08-16_at_21.38.06.png)

## The rest of the podium

Next in was Jesse Reeves, Christophe Dijkmans and Alex Schultz. This is an exciting three finishers in, particularly the Belgiam rider Christophe. He has been relatively under the radar the past few years raking in the top ten results at multiple off road ultra races. This year he won the Hellenic Mountain Race and has now podiumed at the elusive CTR, keep an eye out for future moves from Christophe.

We'll be back with more soon!

Justinas stopped pinging over 30 minutes ago and had 13 miles to go then, his dot is currently bouncing as he is within the radius of the finish. Whilst we can't fully confirm he'll be taking the FIRST FINISH, it is much more likely than not. 

He overtook Xavier at the 78 hour mark and is now closing in on the finish, looking to complete his ride in just under 4 and a half days, exact time to follow. With a veritable monsoon soaking pretty much all the riders, the pace slowed towards the past 24 hours.

## Why First to Finish?

Whilst the Colorado Trail Race isn't an officially organised race, there are race custodians and an extremely active Facebook group. It seems Justinas may have got into a vehicle and whilst this hasn't fully been explored, we aren't able at this time to confirm him as a win vs a first finish this year.

Another controversial moment is the rest of the podium. If that leaves Xavier as the winner, Alex Schultz and Jesse Reeves will be fighting it out to complete the podium. However, Jesse did not complete a Fire Reroute around Twin Lakes and so too could be out of contention for the podium.

![Screenshot 2024-08-15 at 17.08.50](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/B98qIDXXkdxyc5gY5GNhS/6d8401d03fc3bd8c09f485d777312065/Screenshot_2024-08-15_at_17.08.50.png)

Xavier too is closing in on the finish with little space to go, with Artec posting this photo of him in the CTR facebook DotWatching group. Riding strong and chasing Justinas even after the overtake has meant he'll be finishing well within this 4 and a half day mark.

Keep an eye out for more as we learn about Justinas' finish.

## The Women's Field

Nicolette Jones continues to push in as first woman, keeping a steady pace at 418 miles, looking at the tracking, she may be in the top 10 overall which would be an huge finish in this highly competitive field. Karin Pocock is chasing behind. 

We'll get to the front of the Grand Depart soon, but let's check in with the exciting race within a race - the Single Speed! [Matt Annabel](https://www.instagram.com/matt.annabel/) leads the SS race and you should go have a look at his ode to the CTR on his [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/matt.annabel/). He's riding very consistently, currently around 286 miles into the race. With a longer rest last night, but a much short couple of hour one on the first night. 

Behind him is Stephen Scherle, 272 miles into the CTR. Stephen is pinging on the tracker a lot less than Matt, so worth keeping an eye on the "last Update" section of the tracker.

![Screenshot 2024-08-13 at 20.09.29](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6iLDA1iaVMAzmxF9xkAill/48eeb80e542e92f6b1e7379ae6673a56/Screenshot_2024-08-13_at_20.09.29.png)

Finally, the Tour Divide finisher, [Johnny Price](https://www.instagram.com/johnny_no__shoes/), has returned to the CTR after finishing last year 9th overall and second single speed. Well worth following his social media as Women's SS FKT holder Alexandera Houchin is updating his Instagram with some great stories!

![Screenshot 2024-08-13 at 20.02.34](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2DR5TvDkuU6vXJStdukTSl/5b08c67cef8a4416cc90786f4dfea88f/Screenshot_2024-08-13_at_20.02.34.png)
## The Full Leaderboard 

Nicolette Jones continues to lead the women's field at 265 miles in. She's currently about to contour around Mount Antero as she moves towards the climb up to Lost Creek. Something to remember about the CTR is the trail itself is quite technical! Even with flatter contouring sections, riders may be faced with hike a bike or slow moving moments so you can't bank on a consistent speed to monitor them!

Karin Pocock is chasing her down in second spot as she climbs up from South Cottonwood Creek 254 miles in. In the picture you can see her most recent resupply with a cracking mini pizza!

## Justinas Returns 

After a cracked rim, Justinas has picked the pace back up and is now back in second spot behind Xavier Chiriboga. Neither have stopped for more than an hour, with Justinas picking up his pace and closing in. Again, keep an eye on the consistency of the pings but we could see an overtake if Justinas is looking to win each of the Triple Crown races...

After a valiant effort at the Tour Divide, Ulrich has pulled out of the Colorado Trail Race, meaning he is out of the Triple Crown for 2024. We really commend Ulrich for his unbelievable effort and honesty around his race coming to an end. With over two weeks of racing in the Tour Divide and a huge season in 2023, it is no wonder fatigue is creeping in and his race results are certainly going to keep rolling in!

![Screenshot 2024-08-12 at 23.11.33](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2aJvNUbS8zgn7axWL3H01U/1d6e1509779803f45399ab19862cda29/Screenshot_2024-08-12_at_23.11.33.png)
Xavier Chiriboga continues to lead the race, just ahead of Nolan Van Harte and Jeff Kerkove. Xavier, the Ecuadorian bikepacker, has been leading the race from the get go. Xavier placed third last year in the highly competitive Arkansas High Country Race.

![Screenshot 2024-08-12 at 23.02.17](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2OlDaC0Wdtk9NufY3Fg0sj/6afe306fbb64d975812216fa18eee717/Screenshot_2024-08-12_at_23.02.17.png)
Justinas Leveika has suffered from a wheel rim smash and has dropped back after being in the lead pack throughout the race. His tracking was lagging, but seems to be working a little more rapidly now. Will he be able to make the time up as they press on?

Nicolette Jones has taken the lead from Karin Pocock in the women's field, with both women resting (or having a tracking lag) keep an eye out as there is only 10 miles between them!

We'll be back soon.

We've got a flying start with Xavier Chiriboga leading the charge out of Denver with Jesse Reeves just behind!

As well as some big international names, including Justinas and Ulrich, there are some staples of the US bikepacking scene hitting the Colorado Trail this year.

![Screenshot 2024-08-11 at 16.50.38](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7zoxHBx3NK7E8TIuFhofD4/4cc19e3b1ebcf561a31965ac9ec87fab/Screenshot_2024-08-11_at_16.50.38.png)

Karin Pocock is now leading the women's field after returning to the trail for the second year in a row. Karin finished in 5th position last year but may be looking to close in on that podium! The certified Rock and Ski guide is no stranger to be out in the great outdoors so could use this to her advantage this year!

Just behind her is Nicolette Jones, another outdoor instructor this time in ski and whitewater. The women of the outdoors are dominating the bikepacking community, an amazing shift to see with so many new races coming out of the woodwork.

Finally, keep an eye out for the single speed Triple Crowners, they're not to be underestimated and we'll be delving more into this later.


*Ulrich Bartholomoes' Bike Setup* 

This year’s CTR has seen an exciting edition. After winning the 2024 Tour Divide and taking the Grand Départ fastest known time, Justinas Leveika is heading to Colorado to challenge Ulrich Bartholomoes for the Triple Crown Challenge. 

We’ve got an explainer on the Triple Crown below and will be covering it in more detail throughout the racing. 

Make sure you’re up to speed and ready for this year’s highly competitive racing. 

[https://youtu.be/dFjNjwD6MR4?si=pMxz6WPkccZUcZYD](https://youtu.be/dFjNjwD6MR4?si=pMxz6WPkccZUcZYD)

[https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=45284181&metricUnits=true&sampleGraph=true](https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=45284181&metricUnits=true&sampleGraph=true)

Kitty Dennis

Colorado Trail Race 2024 Tracking + Commentary: An original of the world of bikepacking, the Colorado Trail Race is a mountain bike race through the Colorado Rockies. Notorious for its tough terrain and altitude, the CTR is not for the faint of heart.

Colorado Trail Race 2024 Tracking

An original of the world of bikepacking, the Colorado Trail Race is a mountain bike race through the Colorado Rockies. Notorious for its tough terrain and altitude, the CTR is not for the faint of heart.

DotWatcher.cc

Colorado Trail Race 2024

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